Red Rock West (1993)

Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter is mistaken for a hitman, but when the real hitman arrives, complications ensue.

Director:

John Dahl

Writers:

John Dahl, Rick Dahl

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper, Lara Flynn Boyle

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	Michael
Craig Reay	...	Jim
Vance Johnson	...	Mr. Johnson
Robert Apel	...	Howard
Bobby Joe McFadden	...	Old Man
J.T. Walsh	...	Wayne
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Suzanne
Dale Gibson	...	Kurt
Ted Parks	...	Cashier
Babs Bram	...	Receptionist
Robert Guajardo	...	Doctor
Sarah Sullivan	...	Nurse
Timothy Carhart	...	Deputy Greytack
Dan Shor	...	Deputy Bowman
Dennis Hopper	...	Lyle

Storyline

When a promised job for Texan Michael fails to materialise in Wyoming, Mike is mistaken by Wayne to be the hitman he hired to kill his unfaithful wife, Suzanne. Mike takes full advantage of the situation, collects the money and runs. During his getaway, things go wrong, and soon get worse when he runs into the real hitman, Lyle.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | vietnam war veteran | hitman | texan | wyoming | 

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Taglines:

Where nothing is as it seems.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and violence, and for sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

The late William Olvis (he passed away May 6, 2014) wrote the musical score that added so much to its suspense of this movie. He's famous for his beautiful soundtrack for the TV series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993) and has scored 18 other movies.

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Goofs

When Michael Williams is leaving the ranch after fighting Lyle he is clearly seen tucking his gun into the back of his pants, yet in the next shot he still has the gun in his right hand.

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Quotes

Lyle: [Hitman Lyle from Dallas finds Michael laying down in the middle of the road] What the fuck are you doing?
Michael Williams: My car broke down.
Lyle: Where? I don't see a car.
Michael Williams: It's just over that ridge.
Lyle: 'Just over that ridge', huh? Well you're one lucky son of a bitch, aren't you? If I hadn't had my brakes just done, I'd be picking your brains out of my radiator. Fuck.
Michael Williams: Look, I hate to ask you this, but do you think you could give me a ride?
Lyle: I don't know. You're not dangerous, are you?

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Crazy Credits

Special Thanks: Mom & Dad

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Connections

Referenced in Take the Tower: Episode #1.3 (2018)

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Soundtracks

1,000 Miles from Nowhere
Written by Dwight Yoakam
Performed by Dwight Yoakam
Courtesy of Reprise Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Never a dull moment

"Red rock west" superbly ends on a train,while Dwight Yoakam's sensational "A thousand miles from nowhere" is heard during the final credits.One should note that the excellent soundtrack features two songs of the late great Johnny Cash and other chestnuts.

What about the movie?It's an excellent entertaining flick.Two tremendous leads :Nicolas Cage ,who always seems overtaken by events,always looking stupefied and Dennis Hopper who does not take his character seriously and deliciously overacts while displaying a lot of humor.All the supporting cast is excellent ,and as absolutely no one can be trusted in this money story,there are enough twists to satisfy the action-packed movie buff.One should notice that ,towards the end ,in the graveyard ,the movie verges on horror.

An excellent entertainment for a hard day's night.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 May 1993 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Red Rock West

Filming Locations:

Texas Canyon, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,562, 30 January 1994

Gross USA:

$2,502,551

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,502,551

Company Credits

Production Co:

Propaganda Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1